Driven Apart
by YoTa4Eva
Summary: AU. Yoh is a maturing werewolf, learning from Horohoro and loving Manta. Bad summary, good story.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Driven Apart  
Rating: PG-13  
Genre: Drama/Romance  
Summary: AU. Yoh is a maturing werewolf, learning from Horohoro and loving Manta. Bad summary, good story.  
A/N: This is a gender-bender, people! You've been warned! It takes place when Yoh is 13. The first of a series of stories.

Chapter 1

Asakura Yoh lay in silence, staring at the tiny form that was curled up against him. It was the fourth night in a row he had done this. He would lie awake for hours, unable to stop studying every inch of the short girl that had become his best friend over a year ago. He smiled, enjoying the sound of her peaceful heart beat, and then leaned down and nuzzled his face against her own, and then sighed while laying his head back on the pillow. After a minute of hesitation, he wrapped his arm around her midriff and carefully pulled her so that her back was tight against his chest.

"_Even at our age you trust me,"_ Yoh thought gently while licking at her neck. _"I wonder if maybe one day I could tell you?"_

After a moment, the blonde stirred, and then looked up with eyes that were barely open. "Yoh-kun?"

Yoh looked down and smiled. "Yes, Manta?"

"C'n we have choclit p'ncakes t'morrow?" she mumbled

Yoh smiled at her lovingly. "We can have anything your lil' tummy wants, Manta."

"Thank you," she mumbled while drifting to sleep again.

Yoh smiled as she fell back to sleep, and then looked up a bit and sniffed the air.

"Pst! Yoh!"

The brunette looked towards the window and saw his Ainu friend, Horohoro, looking in at them. "Horohoro?"

The blunette nodded sideways slightly, and then turned and walked away from the window.

Slowly Yoh rose to his feet after he had tucked Manta in, and then he walked over to the window. "What is it?" he whispered.

"Ne. It's a good night," Horohoro said while looking back. "There's a buck in that direction. Not so young that he can't protect himself, but not so old that he could hurt you."

Yoh frowned slightly. "A hunt?"

"Mm hmm. If we stay north he won't sense us."

Yoh looked back quietly to Manta, and then sighed. "She's leaving tomorrow. I wanna spend this last night with her."

The Ainu's eyebrow twitched. "Yoh, I've told you before. You gotta worry about transformation, control and hunting before you can start worrying about mates."

Yoh turned red. "Sh-She's not my mate…"

"I'm not stupid, Yoh. You're doing exactly what I did. Now come on! You didn't eat dinner anyway. You wanna end up gnawing on Manta before she leaves? That'd be a nice last impression, wouldn't it?"

Yoh was quiet for several minutes, and then sighed while climbing out the window. "Fine. But it'll be quick, right?"

Horohoro pointed at his neck. "Go for the sweet spot and it'll be quicker than you'd believe." With that he began walking away from the hotel, Yoh following close behind.

"Shouldn't we transform, first?" Yoh asked with a frown.

"I was wondering when you'd remember," he said with a grin.

Yoh sighed. He didn't like himself very much. He missed the days of his youth when he was a normal boy. He wondered just how he had managed to acquire a canine gene when both his parents were normal humans. His thoughts were cut off soon, though, when he caught wind of his prey, and then it clicked in that he wasn't human any more. Horohoro had once told him he was lucky to be able to mentally drift off whenever he made his transformation. It saved him a lot of initial pain and nausea. Yoh wasn't so sure it was so great, though. He could almost never tell when he was human any more, and it scared him.

Horohoro, also transformed, walked over to Yoh and nuzzled his face against the other's in a friendly manner, then looked South and made a small grunt.

_"That direction."_

Yoh was quiet for a moment, and then sighed while looking down.

_"Yoh, you have to learn to hunt. If you don't, you'll instinctively go for weaker creatures like humans!"_ He growled when he didn't receive a reply. _"Yoh, go on! It's nature! At least be thankful you didn't have to grow up with this!"_

Yoh looked over. Horohoro would sometimes tell Yoh stories of when he was much younger. The Ainu had been born, pure blooded werewolf, and so these things were all very natural to him. He wasn't shunned by his family for doing stupid or terrible or bizarre things. Yoh, however, didn't begin to experience these things until he was eleven, and because of it, his family had been scared and forced him to live alone in the large, abandoned hotel that rest so many hours away from them. Their intentions had been good, for they thought that a different lifestyle would make him 'normal'; but it still hurt that they had done such a thing, and especially since it didn't change him in the least.

_"There he is,"_ Horohoro said in a very low growl. _"He's a beauty, ne?"_

The young Asakura stared hungrily at the grazing buck, and then took a step forward, stopping when Horohoro entered his path. _"Horohoro, what are you doing?"_

_"Look at our position. If we attack from here, he'll hear us."_ He nodded upwards. _"Remember how I taught you to climb?"_

_"Yes…"_

_"Then do it. Go to the third left branch, and I'll spook him towards you. Remember, we may be animals, but we aren't sadistic animals like humans, so go for that nerve."_

Yoh was still for a moment, and then nodded while beginning to climb quietly, and then looked down curiously to see if Horohoro had moved. Seeing that he had, he decided he may as well continue on. Once he reached the branch, he looked down and saw Horohoro creeping up on the buck. When the Ainu shot him a glance, Yoh tensed, and then allowed his predatory instincts have some control. A second later Horohoro growled lowly, and Yoh watched as the buck looked. A moment later he took position as its tail raised up, and then he leapt off the branch as it started running in his direction.

Horohoro stood up and watched as Yoh leapt onto the deer, and then growled softly as it let out a cry

"_Oh, no," _Yoh thought shakily, realizing he had missed the nerve, then he felt a knot tie in his stomach. He immediately let go and dropped to the ground, and then stared helplessly as it collapsed.

_"Yoh, finish it,"_ Horohoro said angrily while joining his friend.

_"I… I..." _He swallowed nervously when Horohoro growled at him, and then looked away as the more experienced werewolf walked over to the fallen creature.

_"You can look, Yoh," _Horohoro snapped a minute later. _"Eat your fill, and then leave the rest for them."_

Yoh quietly looked over and spotted a normal, female wolf and her young pups, and then nodded slowly. The meal was certainly less upsetting than the hunt had been, and Yoh quickly filled, and then backed off, leaving a generous amount for the family that was waiting for its turn.

_"Come on,"_ Horohoro said while backing off, and then turned and started towards the hotel.

Yoh looked back momentarily at the family that had begun to feast, except for the mother, who watched him carefully, and then finally he turned and ran after Horohoro. Before long, the two boys had returned to their human state, and Horohoro proceeded to hit Yoh.

"Idiot! I told you! Always go for that nerve!"

"I'm sorry, Horohoro," Yoh whimpered. "It's hard to remember when you're trying to keep yourself from losing control."

The blunette groaned. "Yoh! It's natural instinct! There's no need to remember! If you keep thinking like a human, you forget everything!"

Yoh looked away sadly. "I'm sorry…"

The Ainu was quiet for a few moments, and then sighed while calming down. "No, I'm sorry, Yoh. You haven't lived with this for long." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I shouldn't have yelled." After a moment, he wiped a drop of dried blood off of Yoh's chin and smiled weakly. "Hey, cheer up. You jump better than I can. If you just remember you don't have to suppress all of your instincts, you'll be a good hunter in no time."

Yoh stared at the ground silently. "I… I don't wanna be a hunter…"

Horohoro sighed. "I know. I don't like it too much either. But we're a bit like those skanky vampires. There are times when we have no choice but to hunt." He smiled while lifting Yoh's chin. "The big difference? We only need to hunt once, and that's during the full moon. It's better to hunt more so we are able to protect ourselves better, but we've got the choice to not hunt at all."

Yoh looked up quietly. Horohoro had a weird habit of bringing up vampires, and whenever he did, he always belittled them. "Horohoro?"

"Yeah?"

Yoh looked away a bit. "Can we go home, now?"

"Sure," Horohoro said with a smile, and then the two began walking back towards the hotel. He looked up and smiled at Yoh. "Ne. You probably shouldn't spend so many nights with Manta, you know."

"Why is that?"

Horohoro shook his head. "It's not good for a werewolf's sanity to sleep by a potential mate so often."

"No," Yoh whispered softly. "I couldn't touch Manta like that…"

Horohoro looked at Yoh with a quirked eyebrow. Normally he would contradict Yoh with facts, but his tone wasn't one that could easily be contradicted. "Yoh…"

The brunette shook his head. "I couldn't touch her… She's never even been in heat… and she won't be any time soon." Yoh's expression became sad. "Sometimes I wonder if she's going to be a puppy all her life…"

Horohoro looked at Yoh with a baffled expression. "You can tell whether or not she's been in heat?"

Yoh looked up. "Well, yeah. It's easy enough when I have to go to school with all those other girls."

The Ainu was silent for a moment, and then sighed. "How come you can figure out people's sexual status already without me teaching you anything, and yet I spend six months trying to train you and you still can't hunt?" He began laughing to show Yoh he was trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Yoh made a small smile, and then sighed while looking away. "No… I couldn't touch her…"

Horohoro came to a stop, and then smiled some. "Yeah. There are some really nice things about being a werewolf, Yoh. I think maybe we're more empathetic than humans, really. And our hormones work a lot more civilly than a human's."

Yoh looked to his friend with a weak smile. "You have a very odd way of cheering people up, you know that?"

"I know," Horohoro replied with a grin. "Come on. Your puppy's probably getting cold."

Before long, Yoh looked up with a frown.

"Yoh?" Horohoro asked curiously.

Yoh's eyes shook, and then he broke into a run. "Manta!"

"Huh? Wait up!" Horohoro called after his friend.

Before long, Yoh reached the hotel, a knot tying in his stomach. When he peered in the window, he saw Manta curled up and sobbing. "Manta?" he asked while running to the door and opening it, and then ran over to the blonde, who had looked up with a startle.

"Y-Yoh-kun?" she asked shakily, and then immediately ceased her tears.

"Manta, are you alright?" Yoh asked worriedly while lifting her slightly into his arms. "Why are you crying?"

Manta took a few moments to calm herself, and then looked up. "I had a bad dream… and when I woke up you were gone…" She snuggled against his chest tightly. "I didn't know if you would come back… I… I thought I wouldn't get to see you again…"

Yoh looked down at her sadly, regretting the hunt, and then he cuddled her warmly. "Shh, shh…. I'm here," he said gently, not noticing that Horohoro had been momentarily watching with a grin. Finally Yoh let out a sigh while lying down, allowing the girl to rest on top of him. "It's okay, Manta. I'm here."

The blonde nuzzled her face into his chest with a tired sigh, and then fell back to sleep.

Yoh was quiet for several long minutes, and then sighed. "It'll be okay, Manta," he murmured softly, and then settled into the futon. After a few minutes, he too fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Time to get up, Dozing Dummy!"

Yoh yelped when a foot hit him between his shoulder blades, and then he looked up with a growl. A moment later he yelped when he found Anna (aka. the babysitter from Hell) glaring down at him. "A-Anna!"

The girl quirked an eyebrow. "You were supposed to be up an hour ago."

"S-Sorry," Yoh cried while jumping up, and then looked around frantically. "Where's Manta?!"

"Out making breakfast. You're just the nicest person in the world, aren't you? Your best friend is leaving today, and you make her make breakfast."

Yoh laughed nervously, and then ran out of the room.

"Yoh, put some pants on!" Anna yelled after him.

The teen froze while looking down, and blushed embarrassedly when he realized he was only in his boxers.

Manta sighed softly while pouring the pancake mix onto the skillet. She was definitely dreading studying in China. After all, how many people would understand her the way her friends did? Not many people believed in the things she did, like spirits and fairies. Even her father didn't accept her eagerness to live in a thing that he called sheer fantasy. These people who had befriended her, however, did accept it. In fact, Yoh encouraged her to live in her magical world, and Horohoro backed up his encouragement. Anna and was less enthusiastic, but she still accepted her as well.

She smiled, hearing Anna and Horohoro begin one of their morning arguments. She would miss those sounds when she left Tokyo. She would miss making breakfast for everybody in the morning, and being embarrassed by Yoh and Horohoro's little comments, and being bossed around by Anna.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around her midriff, and then she looked up with a blush. "Yoh-kun… Good morning."

"Good morning, Lil' Lady!" Yoh said with a grin, and then nuzzled his face against her's. "I'm here to take you off the list of slave workers!"

"I heard that," Anna said monotonously from the living room.

"Oops," Yoh giggled nervously.

Manta giggled while looking back to her work and began carefully flipping the pancakes, having an urge to steal one of the chocolate chips from the batter. "Actually, I like making meals for you guys. It feels like I have a reason to be here, then."

"Aww! You always have a reason to be here!" Yoh whined. "If you're not here, who will I embarrass with my perverted ways?"

Manta let out a small squeak, and then looked up at him. "Yoh-kun, I'm trying to make breakfast."

"Oh? And I wanna bake cookies with you!"

Manta blinked, and then sighed. "There isn't enough time, though." She blinked again when Yoh fell over. "Yoh-kun?"

"I meant something different," Yoh said with a nervous grin while getting up.

"Well what else could you mean? You said it clearly. You want to bake cookies with me."

Yoh sighed, and was about to speak when he heard the phone. "I'll get it!!!" he bellowed while bounding out of the room, and then slammed into Anna, sending her stumbling into a closet. Not noticing his little error, he picked up the phone with a big grin. "Hai! Mushi mushi!"

There was a moment of silence, and then he froze when he heard the familiar voice of Oyamada Mansumi. _"Asakura, where the hell is my daughter?"_

"Eh… Oyamada-san…" Yoh said nervously. "H-How may I help you?"

_"I just said, where is my daughter?!"_

Yoh swallowed nervously. "J-Just making breakfast. H-Hang on, a sec." Quickly he covered the phone and looked up. "Manta, that angry man is on the phone again!"

"….. Okay….."

"Sh-She's coming, Sir," Yoh said nervously, and then handed the phone to Manta once she had joined him.

"H-Hai, Otoo-san?" she asked quietly.

_"What the hell are you doing there?! You were supposed to come home **last night!**"_ Yoh heard the man bellow.

"I-I'm sorry… I forgot."

_"I don't know how I ever ended up with such a whore for a daughter! You obviously get it from your mother! I give you a damned refined life, and you go off get screwed by those filthy tramps?!"_

"But…"

_"Don't you talk back to me! Now get home or else!"_

"Hai… Otoo-san…" she murmured softly, and then hung up the phone.

Yoh watched her worriedly for several minutes, and then smiled weakly. "Ah, don't worry 'bout him. He's just a mean ol'…"

"Yoh-kun, please just stop," she said sternly while closing her eyes. "He's right. I should have been home last night. He was having an important dinner party, and as his eldest child, I was required to be there." She looked down, shaking slightly. "I should have known better…"

"Hanging around mongrels will do that to you."

Yoh and Manta looked up quickly and stared at the boy that stood before them. He was about a year younger than Yoh with dark purple hair that was gelled up into a spike. His golden eyes were piercing and gave both of them an unnerving feeling. He wore a yellow jacket with back shorts and a white shirt, seeming as though he were on his way to a private academy.

"Um… Can I help you?" Yoh demanded, something nagging in the back of his mind.

"Hmph. I'm here for Manta," he replied, glaring at the brunette.

"D-Do I know you?" Manta asked nervously.

"Hmm? You would if you had been home last night," he replied with a frown. "I am Tao Ren, and I came to make sure you get home."

"I can go on my own," Manta said quietly while glancing away. "I have to…"

Ren made an annoyed growl, and then grabbed her wrist roughly while beginning to walk towards the door. "You're coming now."

"Huh? Hey!" Yoh said angrily while stepping forward, and then blinked when Horohoro grabbed him.

"Yoh, back off," he growled softly.

"But he…" Yoh began.

"I said back off," Horo snapped.

Ren looked back and eyed the two for a moment, and then smirked. "Manta, go wait outside. I'll be with you in a minute."

"H-Hai…" Manta murmured softly, and then scurried out of the room, leaving the boys alone.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here," Horohoro growled while eyeing Ren.

"And you have a lot of nerve coming near Manta," Ren retorted angrily.

Yoh looked back and forth confusedly. "Do you two know each other?"

"Is your pup that stupid?" Ren asked with amusement.

"He's just never had the misfortune of running into one of you skanks," Horohoro retorted angrily. "Get lost."

"Horohoro?" Yoh looked confusedly to his friend. "What's going on?"

The blue-haired teen glared angrily at the young Tao. "Why would you be associating with humans?"

Ren laughed. "Kisama. Taos do not associate with humans, with the exception of their servants."

Yoh frowned. "You're not a very nice shaman."

The purple-haired boy looked at Yoh irritably. "You should keep your mouth shut when in the presence of prestige superiors." Then his gaze shifted back to Horohoro. "You're part of the Usui clan, aren't you?"

"Yes," Horohoro said with a growl. "So don't underestimate me."

Ren laughed. "Oh, I know what to expect. What I don't understand is why you're hanging around this mutt."

"Hey!" Yoh said angrily.

"That's what you are," Ren said while looking to him. "You were born from a complete shamanic family, and yet you still are a weremutt. As if the werewolves weren't disgraceful enough on their own. Now you have to go and lower their status."

Yoh began growling, and then looked back angrily when Horohoro grabbed his arm.

"Yoh, leave it be," Horohoro said with a frown. "You don't want to mess with him."

"Who said I wanna mess with him?" Yoh demanded angrily while looking back. "I just wanna mess his pretty little face."

Ren snorted. "You are the most jealous, conceited being I've ever encountered." He smirked. "But the truth is, Mutt, that you cannot be her mate, nor can you be my equal."

"You didn't answer my question. What do vampires want with Manta's family?" Horohoro demanded while pushing Yoh back.

The golden eyes narrowed contemptuously. "Idiot. The Oyamadas are Japan's finest clan of vampires."

Both of the older boys froze at his words.

"Yes, you heard me right," Ren said with a frown. "Unfortunately, Manta was born a human." He smirked at Horohoro. "And since you are purebred, I'm sure you already know what will happen if you and your little friend keep her around."

"Manta's family is vampires?" Yoh asked slowly.

Horohoro stared silently at the Tao for some time, and then looked away. "You have what you came for. Get out."

"With pleasure," Ren sneered, and then turned on his heel and quickly exited the hotel.

"Kisama," Yoh growled.

"Yoh, forget it," Horohoro said quietly. "You can't be with her."

"Why not?!" Yoh cried while looking to the Ainu, tears running down his face. "Why can't I be with her, Horohoro?! Why?!"

Horohoro watched him quietly for a moment, and then closed his eyes. "I'll tell you when you're in a more reasonable frame of mind."

Yoh stared silently at his friend for several long minutes, and then looked down angrily. "Manta…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Manta sat silently in the Oyamada family's limo, staring at the ring that now rest on her finger. The gold band was rather tight on her, a pear lily resting on the top with a diamond centering it. On each side of the lily, there were small symbols engraved. She let out a miserable sigh while leaning against the door.

_"I should have just run away,"_ she thought sadly. _"Yoh-kun said his family is strict about tradition… Maybe they could have helped me…"_

"You should put those mutts out of your mind," Ren spoke up.

The blonde looked over quickly to the Tao, and then glanced away. "Quit talking like they're animals."

Ren snorted. "Manta, just forget about them. Your father's decision to send you to China is a good one. It will also teach you to act properly."

"I already act too properly," she muttered, and then she blinked when he caught her chin and tilted her head up.

"You act like one of them," Ren muttered while staring into her eyes.

The blonde's eyes widened when he leaned forward, and then she turned her head away while pushing him back. "What are you doing?!"

Ren's eyes narrowed, and then he released his grip on her chin and forced her back against the seat. "You shouldn't defy your superiors. It could be bad for your health," he said icily.

Her eyes welled with tears when he leaned forward again, and then she began shaking her head frantically. "L-Let me go now! Leave me alone!" After a minute she brought her knees up into the Tao's ribs as hard as she could, forcing him away from her, and then she scrambled from her seat to the opposite seat and began knocking frantically on the window between the passenger seats and the drive's seat of the limos. "Tamura! Tamura!!" she called, and then cried out when Ren whipped her around and struck her hard across the face.

The teen frowned, and then took his chance to pin the half-dazed girl on the seat, and then leaned down and kissed her roughly, forcing his tongue past her thin lips.

After a couple of minutes, her blue eyes fluttered open as she regained her senses, and then she began whimpering, feeling the boy sucking mercilessly at the name of her neck.

"It's not like I'm trying to take your blood," Ren snapped irritably while pulling away, and then returned to his seat.

Manta whimpered while sitting up, still dizzy from being hit, and then whimpered while placing a hand over the sore area of her neck. After several minutes, she retrieved the mini mirror from her small backpack. After investigating and finding a large, dark bruise covering her neck, she whipped the mirror at Ren and began crying. "H-How could you?!" she sobbed.

"Hmm?" Ren replied, not at all amused with the mirror, which he had easily caught. "What are you whining about now?"

She buried her face into her hands, continuing to sob. "Y-You… You… I hate you!"

"I could have slept with you," Ren said with amusement.

"Y-You weren't supposed to touch me!" she cried, her face still in her hands. "Nobody was! Only Yoh-kun if we ever… ever…"

Ren frowned. "Only if you what?"

"If… we ever married…" she whispered softly.

"Yeah, well guess what, Princess. This is the real world. It's time for you to realize that isn't how the world works. You should be thankful your father is separating you from those two. If you hung around them much longer, you would have been a certified slut." He closed his eyes. "Now quit your whining and deal with it."

After another ten minutes, the limo came to a stop at the airport.

"Get out," Ren said irritably while forcing the reluctant girl out. "The plane will be ready in ten minutes. You have until then to get cleaned up or get something to eat."

Manta watched shakily as the Tao walked off, and then she pulled her jacket around her tightly while looking down. After a moment, she let out a startled yelp when two arms wrapped around her.

"Shh," Yoh's voice whispered softly. "It was hard to get here past security."

"Y-Yoh-kun…" she whispered shakily as he turned her to face him.

"Manta…" Yoh said gently, seeing that she had been crying. "Are you okay?"

Manta stared shakily at him for several minutes, and then looked away, her face reddening. "Y-Yoh…"

The brunette stared silently at the short girl, and then brought her into his arms lovingly. "Be strong. They can't keep you there forever."

"You don't understand…" Manta whispered softly.

Yoh frowned when he noticed a strange scent on Manta, and then looked down to her. A moment later his eyes narrowed. _"Somebody touched you…"_ He tilted her head up and looked into her eyes. "Manta… Somebody touched you, didn't they?"

The blonde froze, and then looked away quickly. "I…"

"Who?"

"N-Nobody…" she whispered.

Yoh made an irritated sound. "Who the hell touched you?!"

"I… I…" she stammered, shaking.

"Manta… Please… Tell me," Yoh said gently, his expression softening. "I… I care about you too much. Please tell me…"

Manta continued to blush, tears running down her face. _"Please… Take me away,"_ she thought softly and wished she could say. How wonderful it would be if Yoh would just abduct her. Take her to the mountains, away from 'civilization'. Her blush deepened at the thought of Yoh claiming her as his mate. And to live in the mountains with him would be so wonderful. To be away from the new world and be with the old world. _"So safe…"_ She thought quietly.

"Manta?" Yoh asked worriedly, placing a hand on her forehead. "Manta, are you okay?"

"Yoh…" Manta whispered softly, her face still red and her eyes half-lidded. _"Please… Take me…"_

Yoh blinked, and then his face reddened, his expression becoming similar to hers. "Manta…" He gently caressed her face, and then he took a deep breath. "Manta?"

The blonde was silent, caught in her small fantasy world, but jolted awake when Yoh's hand slid from her face, down her neck, and onto her shoulder. Her eyes filled with tears, and then she hugged him tightly, beginning to sob. "Yoh!"

"Manta?" Yoh asked confusedly, and then he returned the hug. "It'll be okay. Everything will work out."

"N-No…" she whispered softly. "I-It won't…"

"Manta?" Yoh repeated still confused. "I… Huh? Wait!" he cried when she pulled away from him and began to run. He stood up quickly, but only stared as she ran towards the private jet that looked like it would be taking off any minute. He froze when he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder, and then looked back. "T-Tamura-san…"

He frowned slightly at the boy. "You… shouldn't have come here, Yoh-kun. You're the reason Mansumi-san is sending her away."

Yoh looked down sadly. "I know…" After a moment he looked back towards the plane.

Tamura nodded, and then turned away. "It is best this way, Yoh-kun."

Yoh watched silently as Manta boarded the plane, and then swallowed hard when it closed up, began moving, and then finally took off, disappearing quickly with the early night sky that came with December.

Horohoro stared at the clock silently, and then frowned worriedly. Yoh still hadn't returned home. "Idiot," he murmured while discontinuing his pacing, and then after grabbing his jacket he looked towards the living room. "Anna, I'm gonna go find Yoh."

"While you're at it, get the groceries," was her only response.

"Ugh," the Ainu groaned while picking the list up off the table, and then quickly left before he could receive any more orders. _"Idiot,"_ he thought again while walking. _"I told you not to get involved… Where the hell are you now?"_

As he walked, he thought about how close Yoh and Manta had become. He knew well enough they loved one another. And he knew that they weren't aware of each others' love. It was only natural for him to be annoyed. Now he would have to worry about how Yoh would take Manta's leaving.

When that thought crossed his mind, however, he received an unexpected answer. He jumped about three feet into the air, hearing a loud cry that morphed from human to canine somewhere in the area. After several minutes, the blunette's eyes widened. _"Yoh…"_ After a moment he began running, praying he would find his distressed friend before Yoh could find somebody else.

_To Be Continued…_


End file.
